The Subject of National Security, continued

Greetings, All,

Concert-in-comment on this military parade is still happening. I plan to sing my usual repertoire of peace and justice songs somewhere on the periphery of the parade--hopefully *everywhere* on the periphery, if we can borrow the fleet of pedi-cabs! The parade happens 11:30am-12:30pm, this coming Saturday, 5/21.

Escalations in protest against military recruitment locally and nationally have shown results. Recuiters have been harassed, confronted, sued, kicked out, and engaged in dialogue. And they are worried.

May 20th, 2005, all US Army recruiting offices will be CLOSED in order to "reaffirm" their "oaths." This should be seen as a victory to those who have engaged in dialogue with recruiters--who have fallen short of their "goals" for enlistment consistently the past few years.

Free Radio call-in (.mp3) and info from the Capitola Recuiting office and the Watsonville "job" faire.

See also: Mumia Abu Jamal: Harder and Harder to Recruit || UCSC Students Kick Military Recruiters Off Campus || www.Indymedia.us || Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors

Military propaganda backed by police repression was clearly visible at the 7th Annual Job and Resource Fair that took place on May 18th at the GHWR Youth Center in Watsonville, CA. I wonder if the military was intentionally left off the flyer for the event which listed 18 agencies and employers.

Kathy Kelly, three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work against a decade of sanctions against Iraq's civilian population, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Monday May 23rd at the First Congregational Church, 900 High Street, Santa Cruz. In her presentation, "Other Lands Have Dreams," Kelly will relate lessons learned from her peace witness during the first Gulf War, through the misery of twelve years of US led sanctions, to Operation Shock and Awe, and the ongoing Occupation of Iraq.